Otis Redding, Booker T. & the MGs, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, Steve Cropper, Eddie Floyd, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, Rufus and Carla Thomas--so many legends of soul and R&B wrote and recorded for Stax Records that in its heyday in the 1960s and early 1970s the legendary label became Motown's primary competition. With the Broadway success of Motown: The Musical, should we be surprised to learn that a jukebox musical focusing on Stax is in the works?
Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated producer Stuart Benjamin and Concord Music Group are developing a musical around the story of Stax with a goal of bringing it to Broadway in the spring of 2016. Matthew Benjamin will write the book.
With its integrated artist roster and staff, Stax Records made a permanent mark not just on popular music but on American culture as a whole. Artists who weren't on the label, like Elvis Presley and Wilson Pickett, recorded at Stax's studios as well, and its house band became legendary.
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